Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1887-11-17
WASHINGTON LETTER.
[Trom our regular correspondent.

[from our regular eorrespondent.l
WAsHINGToN, ID. G. Nov. Sth, 1887.
Among the prominent Democratic
members OF the House who have arriv.
ed ut the Capital, / may mention the
Hon. r. p. Bland, of Missouri, who is
often referred to as "Silver Bland" on
account of the leading part taken by
him In the legislation that authorized
the coinage of the "dollar of our dad
dies,n and also because he is on all
occasions the steadfast friend and
champion of silver. Mr.. Bland gives
his views and to the probable course of
legislation in the Fiftieth Congress-
He thinks compromise tariff bill
will pass, and that it will include the
repeal of the tobacco tax; he believes
that the tariff should be reduced $780,
100000; the free list should be largely
increased and there should be o reduc-
tion of duties on other imports. He
thinks there will be no financial legis-
Iation except in so far as tariff legisla-
ton affects the finances.
The question of changing the time of
the meeting of Congress, is again, as
well as the terms of the members, be-
ing agitated. and there are numberless
advocates in the affirmative, while on
the other hand, the dissentients can
be counted ON ones fingers. / have
yet to see a convincing reason why
Congress should meet, as 1t does at pre-
sent, thirteen months after the election
ofits members, but, on the contrary,
there are many grave objections to the
rswro otntRn Vnnxxr In nj VUyh Snh Il
may mention that Congressman should
come fresh from the people; that their
successors should not be elected until
the incumbents serve out their first
term: that the present custom is
antagonistic to the progressive spirit of
the age. Congress now meets on the
first Monday in December, and before
that body gets fairly to work, an ad-
journment for the holidays is in order.
Why should not Congressman, like
most other elective officials, begin their
duties on the first of the year and be
paid per annum.
The theory Of States right has
certainly received substantial en-
couragement from the decision of the
United States Supreme Court in the
Chicago Anarchist cases, and / doubt
not, if such a thing be possible, that
the spirit of the great Calhoun hovered
jubilantly over the'historical and event
full scene thati in measure vindicated
the constitutionality of his distinctive
doctrine of the reserved rights of the
States in the Federal compact. But,
however that may be, / believe the
verdict, on its merits, is generally APP
plauded as Just and righteous.
ia young newspaper correspondent of
this city took advantage of the occasion
to send sham "infernal machinen TO
Chief Justice Waite making the inn
preston that 1t was a scheme of the
friends of the Anarchists, for revenge
on the Court. The reckless youth
made sensation in the Capital, but
the sequel was his confinement in the
gloomy cell of the police station until
bailed out.
Earlier in the past week, Washington
had another sensation in the shape of a
cholera scare, caused by two Italian
suspects from Now York, who, together
with their effects, were given fumiga-
tion and permitted to depart. If any
more ships supposed to be infected with
cholera arrive in New York harbor, the
Government will uncerelnoniously
order them back from whence they
came.
A Treasury clerk has caused no little
perturbation in that department by
inventing new counting machine
which, ifit works as successfully as the
experiment promises, will do it. And
that is what carries sorrow to the souls
of the charming ''countesses," a.large
number of whom are operating the old
machine at compensation of from
$3.50 to $500 per day. Nor will the
enterprisng inventor be benefited
pecuniarily, as he invented the ma
chine wilhelm Government service. So
he gets not cent for his ingenuity.
The air Is full of rumors of coming
Cabinet changes whether unfounded
0rnot your correspondent is unable to
say ito the effect that upon the trans
fer Of Secretary Lamar to the Supreme
Bench, Postmaster General Villas will
occupy the vacancy. while the Wiscon-
sin Statesman will be succeeded by
Don M. Dickinson, of Michigan. On
the other hand, it is said to be the
Presidents purpose to appoint pro-
minent Union General as Mr.. Lamar's
successor, and If this be true, I believe
his choice will fall upon Gen. John G.
Riark, Commissioner of Pensions.
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M 4 I'll kzI